Read the full transcript of President Vladimir Putin’s speech on Corruption at the annual expanded board meeting of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) on Mar 5, 2025.
Listen to the audio version here:
TRANSCRIPT:
Introduction
PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN: Dear comrades, today, during the annual extended board meeting, you will have to assess the results of your work in 2024. We will, of course, also discuss the tasks for the near future, but first of all, I would like to thank the leadership and personnel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for their responsible approach to fulfilling their duties.
I would like to make a special mention of those who are serving in Donbass, Novorossiya and the Kursk region. Under difficult conditions, you worked honorably and professionally, did your best to help people, protect law and order, ensure rhythmic daily work of territorial subdivisions, and they have a heavy workload.
Thus, last year, the passportization of residents of the liberated districts of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions was completed almost instantly.
Safety and Crime Reduction
Dear colleagues, today, it is important to increase the work of the Agency in all areas to consolidate the positive trends that you have achieved. First of all, this concerns ensuring the safety of citizens, protecting people’s health, lives and property.
Thus, the detection rate of such types of crime as murder, robbery and burglary is improving. Street crime has also decreased. On the whole, I note that the number of so-called recidivism, when those who have been punished commit a crime again, is practically decreasing.
In the sphere of your responsibility are also important issues of anti-terrorist protection, of social and transport infrastructure, places of mass stay of people. I ask you to pay special attention to this area, including during the upcoming celebrations on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the great victory.
Further, thanks to the joint efforts of the authorities, the education system, civil society organizations and, of course, the preventive work of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the level of juvenile crime is decreasing.
Over the past 10 years, this indicator has more than halved. I think that this is the result of purposeful work in this area.
We must continue to do everything we can to protect young people from criminal threats and from being drawn into illegal activities, including drug trafficking and cybercrime.
In this connection, I ask you to pay additional attention to the detection rate of crimes committed with the use of information technologies, all the more so because last year, unfortunately, their number, you are well aware of this, increased, and the damage exceeded 200 billion rubles, and almost a quarter of the decedent are pensioners.
I would like to draw your attention to the fact that, unfortunately, the detection rate of such crimes has also decreased, and it’s about a 23%. Of course, we understand that criminals are looking for and using new opportunities, but the authorities must respond to these threats accordingly.
Our task, in cooperation with other relevant agencies, is to seek new, more effective methods of combating this threat, including within the framework of a unified system for countering such crimes. Such a system is being created now in accordance with Russia’s national development goals.
Drug Trafficking and Migration Issues
Countering illicit drug trafficking must be equally aggressive and consistent. The Ministry of Internal Affairs, together with the Federal Security Service, the Federal Customs Service, and other relevant structures, should be more active in identifying drug dealers, suppressing drug trafficking, including cross-border drug trafficking, and improving mechanisms for combating aggressive advertising and sites for the sale of drugs in the digital sphere.
Dear colleagues, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is facing serious challenges in the migration sphere. The priority here is the security of society and citizens, and the preservation of our cultural identity. It is necessary to suppress channels of illegal migration and make more active use of modern migration control tools.
All instructions of this kind have already been given. The Minister and I have discussed this topic many times, and now we have just touched on it. I think that we need to strengthen this work here, including by paying more attention to these issues administratively and on the part of the government.
In addition, as we agreed, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, together with other relevant services, should study the possibility of abandoning the paper migration card and switching to electronic authorization for people from abroad. I emphasize that these and other innovations should be reflected in the updated concept of state migration policy, which should be adopted as soon as possible this year.
And of course, we should develop the existing mechanisms to support the return to the homeland of our compatriots, as well as those foreigners who share our traditional values, who want to live and work in our country, and especially if they have the appropriate qualifications and education and are needed by our economy.
Extremism and Economic Security
The fight against extremism remains an important task of the Internal Affairs Agency. National and religious intolerance, aggressive and militant radicalism are a threat to the unity and cohesion of the multinational people of Russia, as we understand very well, to our sovereignty after all, and even to the territorial integrity of the country.
I expect from you the toughest and most prompt response to such offenses. It is important to use all tools here, including preventive work, dialogue with civil society institutions and religious associations.
Russia’s large-scale, long-term development plans require reliable economic security, which means systematic work to cleanse industries and the financial sector of criminals and money laundering schemes.
Corruption and Misuse of Funds
We must not slow down in the fight against any corrupt practices. I would like to repeat once again. Corruption hinders the development of our economy, social sphere, labor market, negatively affects the global environment and investment climate.
Particular attention should be paid to curbing attempts to embezzle budget funds in the implementation of the state defense order and national projects, as well as our other development programs.
Here it is important not only to identify specific criminals, but also to carefully, together with colleagues from federal, regional and municipal authorities, identify problem areas, criminogenic risks in legislation and management practices, in order to eliminate the very pre-conditions for such crimes.
Road Safety and Personnel Issues
As before, road safety requires serious attention. There is a positive trend here, it is true, and I would like to thank all my colleagues who are engaged in this work. Over 20 years, the number of people killed in road accidents has more than halved, but many of our citizens still die and are injured in road accidents, including, unfortunately, children.
Therefore, we need to think about additional solutions for technical modernization of roads, traffic management and accident prevention. By 2030, the death rate in road accidents should be reduced by at least one and a half times. This benchmark has been set, and we need to consistently work towards it.
In conclusion, I will touch on another extremely important issue – human resources. I know that there is a growing shortage of personnel in the Ministry of Internal Affairs system, especially in the primary level. The Minister constantly raises these issues, and the problem is, of course, complex and systemic, requiring solution in all areas.
I am referring to the strengthening of social guarantees, increasing the salaries of staff, which of course, as they say in such cases, must be competitive, and, of course, resolving housing and other social issues. I ask the Government, together with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, to prepare specific proposals on all these problems and submit them for consideration. We must recognize that these issues are overdue. I repeat, the Minister constantly raises these issues in the Government.
Conclusion
Our citizens expect that you will continue to fulfill your tasks in good faith. I am confident that you will certainly justify this trust of our citizens. Of course, I wish you success, health and all the best to your loved ones.
The tasks are colossal, especially today. Once again, I would like to finish where I started. On the whole, the Interior Ministry system is fulfilling its tasks, and I would like to thank you for that. Thank you for your attention.
